Congress-TMC strike deal for WB polls
March 21st, 2011 - 5:24 pm ICT by ANI
New Delhi, Mar. 21 (ANI): The stalemate between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over seat-sharing for the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal has reportedly come to an end with Mamata Banerjee allotting 65 seats to her alliance partner.
A formal announcement is expected later in the day.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi met senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee and her political secretary Ahmed Patel earlier today to discuss the proposed seat-sharing arrangement with the Trinamool Congress for assembly polls in West Bengal.
The first phase of voting in the state will take place on April 18, second phase on April 23, third phase on April 27, fourth phase on May 3, fifth phase on May 7 and sixth phase on May 10.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee had set the Congress a Monday deadline to come to an understanding on the seat-sharing issue.
Banerjee has said that if no agreement is reached, the TMC is ready to field candidates in all 292 seats, as opposed to the 228 earlier.
According to sources, the Congress Central Election Committee is expected to meet at 5 p.m. at party President Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence here.
Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed has hinted that the party could consider tie-ups with smaller regional parties if talks with the TMC fail.
He told media persons here that the TMC was the Congress party’s ‘first choice’.
“If no consensus is reached on seat sharing arrangements with Trinamool Congress, the Congress party would consider a tie up with the smaller parties in West Bengal which are seeking an alliance with us,” Ahmed said.
“Although, we hope that in the coming days a consensus will be achieved with the Trinamool Congress through negotiations, as of now we would just like to say that the talks have been inconclusive. We need some more time to arrive at a decision,” he added.
Banerjee had on Friday allotted 64 seats to the Congress while releasing a list of 228 TMC candidates for the upcoming polls. (ANI)
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Tags: alliance partner, assembly polls, central election, congress party, congress president sonia gandhi, field candidates, fifth phase, formal announcement, fourth phase, mamata banerjee, media persons, party president, political secretary, pranab mukherjee, regional parties, shakeel ahmed, sixth phase, tie ups, trinamool congress, west bengal